Multifunction Phased Arrays - New Low Cost Scanner for Radar or Communications

Large planar arrays which consist of several hundred to several thousand antennas provide narrow, high gain pencil beams. Electronic beam steering for terminal guidance radar can be achiev ed using frequency scanning, beam switching, time delay or phase delay. Electronics steering allows beam manipulations in tens of nanoseconds using compact, mechanically rigid structures. Due to the increase in complexity from the additional components there is some loss in gain and pattern deterioration at large scan angles. Conventional electronic phase shifters include solid state and ferrite phase shifters. Although faster than conventional mechanica gimbals, electronic beam steering is far more expensive than mechanical beam pointing approaches. When cost is the primary driver of the system design, phased arrays are typically ruled out. However, an inexpensive phase shifter has been designed for use with aperture coupled phased arryas and demonstrated up to Ka band. The electromechanical phase shifter was configured in a linear sub array to demonstrate a five an an eight element X band phased array. This approach has the potential of becoming an extremely low cost phased array. During Phase I, Epsilon Lambda will pursue companies which are prospects for SBIR Fast Track partnership for Phase II fund matching and Phase III commercialization. During Phase I a study will be conducted to determine a practical, low cost approach to implement a terminal guidance radar scanning array using the new phase shifter. During Phase II, this array will be demonstrated.